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By Sean Hrabachko: 2 Time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch 27(20)-1(0) has been on a monumental mission since capturing the WBC belt for the first time in Nottingham against Jean Pascal who at the time also boasted an undefeated record. Since that night in December 08 he has taken on the most ascendant assailants back to back falling short just once! (not in my opinion but hey) but can anyone out there remember a time when a British fighter fought such game opponents one after the other like this? If you can you will know it hasn’t been recent.
Now the most recently asked question in the UK is why doesn’t Carl receive the reverence he absolutely deserves but I think that is a bit harsh to say the least as anyone who is a fan of boxing or who know the sport well have nothing but approval for the Cobra. It is just he doesn’t seem to receive the general hype that surrounds his fellow countrymen such as Haye or Khan even though he is probably…. scrap that definitely Britains best P4P at the moment so why no hype? Easy answer: Television..
Television coverage is responsible for making the non boxing fans or future fans aware of warriors like Froch, you could ask anyone on the streets of Britain, boxing fan or not and they will be able to squint with one eye and point out who David Haye is where as Froch who is fighting more valiantly is unfortunately less recognized. We know ITV followed him for many of his fights and his appearances on sky exist but Froch’s career is a strange one when it comes to television backing he must be the only fighter to reach world level and get seen less on TV!. His rise and rise through the domestic scene was televised and there was domestic hype around the cobra and the public saw his successful world title / all out war with Jean Pascal on ITV but the fact is Primetime just isn’t viewed enough in Britain.
On the plus side his marvelous career that is currently bulldozing its way through the super middleweight division is not going disregarded in the US with a plethora of Americans becoming Froch fans with each fight as he is aired on the much bigger American org Showtime, not forgetting his rough ‘n’ tough, riding punches, take some to give some style that our friends over the pond seem to love. Which brings me back to my original point if Carl Froch manages to complete this illustrious mission which includes him winning the super six and fulfilling his dreams of stepping up to light heavy and fighting for the WBC light heavy crown (possible rematch with Pascal) how would he be ranked?
We must remember on his way to world level he (literally) took out the best domestic boxers too in Reid, Dodson, Magee etc and then ascended on the best in the world, I think there is no doubt that he simply would have to go down as one of the greatest above Joe Calzaghe. Not to take anything away from Joe but the numerous defences he made of his WBO belt where not consistently the best one after the other. I understand that Calzaghe had 23 world title fights to Froch’s (so far) 5 and Calzaghe’s win over Kessler to Carl’s loss to the same man would definitely serve as a good post for bragging rights but Carl at 33 years old seems to be going on the greatest of all time crash course making up for lost time by fighting the best.
I know that still doesn’t give me the right to say Carl would go down better than Joe just on that. I think what it all boils down to is what Carl does at light heavy as when Joe ventured up there and to America he only had two bouts with only one definitive fight (B-hop) not to mention no world title fights. Where as Froch has already said he is eyeing the WBC belt at light heavy so if he manages to seize that I thoroughly believe his legacy depends on who he defends it against.
He without a doubt possesses the chin and strength to survive at cruiser never mind light heavy so he is more than capable of doing what he does best and fight the most distinguished in the division and win.
With a possible unification bout with undefeated Canada based Romanian Lucian Bute (IBF champ) as a possible send off to light heavy as sources have indicated that Bute will be watching the Super Six final with engrossed eyes and the fact that Froch is used to taking the best opponents he can anyway, with all that on the Cobra’s CV and the fact it is very very attainable it would be impossible not to rank Carl Froch, the best of his era, a hall of famer and one of Britain’s greatest of all time.